Book 2: Chapter 23 (1/2)

George ignored the stares from the surrounding people and burst into the adventurers’ guild. He panted for breath as he stood at the entrance, holding the door open with one webbed hand. His spear was strapped to his back, and he wore simple leather clothing made from leviathan hide. The adventurers stared at him for a moment before turning their attentions away. The silent guild burst out into commotion once again.

George ran to the receptionist’s desk, but he was pulled back by someone on the line. “This is an emergency!” George shouted, shaking off the hand holding his shoulder.

“I have an emergency too, but you don’t see me skipping the queue!” the person at the back shouted.

George shot him a dirty look before shouting, “The undead have invaded the coasts!”

The lobby fell silent. The silence remained for three seconds before someone snickered. Other people started to laugh as well. “The continent’s run by holy dragons. Holy dragons!” someone said. “You think any undead would stand a chance here?”

“I’m serious!” George said, his gills flapping as his face turned red. “All of our tribes along the coast have been subjugated!”

The receptionist cleared his throat. “Please calm down,” he said, still reading the papers in his hands. “The guild master is out at this time, but I’ll be happy to help you with your problems. I only ask that you wait in line like the rest of the folk here. Thank you for your patience.”

George’s face fell at the receptionist’s response. His people were being hunted by the undead, yet he had to wait in line. Who knows how much more torture they’d have to undergo before he could explain his problem properly? He clenched his spear and trudged to the back of the line, head lowered. A sigh escaped from his lips. If only the elders hadn’t been so eager to chase away those two ocean crossers, then maybe the undead could’ve been repelled. To be fair, he wanted them gone as well. Their tribe would’ve run out of food if that boy stayed for another week.

When it was finally George’s turn to approach the receptionist, an hour had already passed. The receptionist rubbed his eyes and raised his head. He flashed George a smile, but he looked more demented than friendly due to the dark circles underneath his eyes. “Welcome, how may I help you today?”

“The undead have invaded the coast,” George said, his hands trembling. “My tribesmen have tried fighting against them, but they were losing when I left to turn in this report.”

The receptionist blinked. “This is serious if that’s true,” he said and furrowed his brow. “Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

“I did!” George shouted.

The receptionist furrowed his brow. “I must not have heard you,” he said and sighed as he pulled out a blank piece of paper. “We’ve been overloaded for the past week ever since the guild master left on her adventure.” He dipped his quill in the inkwell. “How long has it been since they’ve arrived?”

“There weren’t a lot of them. We fought them thinking we would win, but they managed to stall for two days. Then the tides turned on us without warning, and I was sent here,” George said, counting with his fingers. “It took me four days to reach here.”

“Nearly a week then,” the receptionist said with a nod. “Can you describe their characteristics? Zombies, ghouls, skeletons? I assume your tribe wouldn’t have engaged if there were any liches or dullahan present.”

“Skeletons,” George said. “Lots of skeletons. Easily over a hundred of them.”

“Fishmen skeletons?”

“Human.”

“Interesting,” the receptionist said as he finished filling out the paper. “I’ll place the scouting mission on the commission board. After the scouts return, we’ll determine what to do from there.”

“It’ll be too late by then!” George said. “My tribe will be wiped out!”

“I understand your frustration, but there’s really nothing else that can be done,” the receptionist said. “I can only follow protocol.”

George’s teeth clacked as he ground them together. He dropped the bag by his waist onto the receptionist’s desk. “Leviathan scales and teeth! I’d like to sell them and recruit a group of A-ranked adventurers to cleanse the shores.”